Speech By His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of The Republic of Zambia, at The Handover of The Ministry Of Home Affairs Housing Project Housing Units to The Zambia Correctional Service in Monze, Southern Province Saturday, 4th July, 2020
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REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
Speech By His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu,
President of The Republic of Zambia, at The Handover of The Ministry Of Home Affairs Housing Project Housing Units to The Zambia Correctional Service in Monze, Southern Province Saturday, 4th July, 2020
State House
Lusaka
The Minister Of Home Affairs, Hon. Stephen Kampyongo, MP;
The Minister For Southern Province, Hon. Dr. Edify Hamukale, MP;
The Provincial Chairperson, Patriotic Front, Southern Province;
Permanent Secretaries Present;
Commissioner General, Zambia Correctional Service;
The District Commissioner, Monze;
Senior Government Officials;
All Senior Officers, Superior And Subordinate Officers In The Zambia Correctional Service;
Distinguished Invited Guests;
Members of The Press;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
We are living in difficult and challenging times, as covid-19 continues to influence and change the way we live and work. Without definite knowledge as to when the Coronavirus might stop being a threat to our lives, we cannot stop working completely. We have a duty to adapt and learn to live with this pandemic.
It is in this spirit of learning to live with covid-19 that we are gathered here, to witness the commissioning and official handover of seventy housing units to the Zambia Correctional Service.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Seventy Housing Units we are commissioning here in Monze, Southern Province, are part of the countrywide Twelve Thousand Housing Units that we must construct to address the shortage of Decent Housing for Security Officers under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
This project is, therefore, designed to address what was a long-neglected housing shortage for our men and women in the security institutions under the Ministry Of Home Affairs.
Ladies And Gentlemen,
When the Patriotic Front assumed the reins of power, we undertook an audit of the state of our security institutions. We found demoralised officers living in condemned housing structures unfit for human habitation in some cases.
Provision of essential tools and basic equipment was not any better. This state of affairs was disturbing to say the least, especially that security is the basic foundation for social and economic development of any society.
My Government, therefore, decided to address these problems through a modernisation programme centred on provision of decent housing, essential security tools and equipment, as well as capacity building.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
There was and there is still no alternative to modernising our security infrastructure and institutions. without security no development can be achieved.
Provision of housing and essential tools and equipment is of course expensive. However, the cost of insecurity and lawlessness is worse. I am, therefore, pleased to see so much progress made in addressing challenges which were a potential threat to the integrity of our security institutions in 2011.
In that regard, it is commendable that the first phase of this Housing Project of which Seventy Housing Units are part of, is scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2020, One Year Ahead Of Schedule. This Is remarkable by any standards as Phase One Had 53 Sites Spread Across Six Provinces And 18 Districts in our country.
Ladies And Gentlemen,
While not all our security officers would be direct beneficiaries of the housing units in phase one of this project, i would like to urge all security officers in the Ministry Of Home Affairs to have confidence, because of the positive results being witnessed in this programme.
We remain steadfast in delivering all the 12,000 Housing Units In a phased approach to avoid choking The Treasury. Equally, all the old houses, which are structurally intact, would also be rehabilitated in due course.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
My Government has equally made good progress on the other elements of the modernisation programme. uniforms, specialised equipment and transport, including patrol vehicles and boats are being delivered in full by the end of July for all the security departments under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
With regard to the Zambia Correctional Service, my Government has not just delivered modern housing units and operational equipment and transport, but also heavy land clearing and agricultural equipment, including tractors and combine harvesters.
The agricultural equipment is being provided to enable the Zambia Correctional Service, like all defence and security institutions, contribute to food production and thus enhancing food security in the country.
Our Defence And Security Institutions, while securing Zambia at all times, have a responsibility to contribute to the country’s food security. This is so because food security is the first and a critical pillar of national security. People and property are very unlikely to be safe and secure where people are ravaged by hunger and food shortages.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
To the Commissioner General of The Zambia Correctional Service, and all the officers in the rank and file of the service, i wish to note that the agricultural equipment my Government has provided cost the treasury a lot of money. You must, therefore, look at it as seed provided to the Correctional Service for multiplication. The equipment should, therefore, be guarded jealously from abuse and under-utilisation.
As your Commander-In-Chief, I hereby direct you to increase the production of cereals and legumes that you currently produce. Boost particularly, the production of wheat, maize and soya beans by no less than 100 percent by the 2021/22 Agricultural Season. I have considered a whole agricultural season to help you transition to higher levels of production. This directive would have to be fulfilled without fail.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In 2016 my Government transformed the Zambia Prison Service into a Correctional Service. This Transformation was aimed at moving away from retribution against offenders, to correcting them and helping them become better citizens. the benefits of this, are empowered citizens with skills and leading productive lives once discharged from the correctional service.
To monitor progress achieved in that regard, i am directing the directorate of corrections and extension services of the Zambia Correctional Service to, with immediate effect, begin closer monitoring of former inmates upon discharge. This is essential to assess the effectiveness of the correction methods currently in use in the Zambia Correctional Service.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
As I conclude, let me appeal to the beneficiaries of the new beautiful houses to look after them as your own houses. Remove the tag that these are Government Property. Take good care of the houses to encourage my Government to build more houses for officers who are still living in sub-standard houses. For us to sustain such development gains we need to work together for the good of our nation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is now my honour and privilege to commission and handover The 70 Housing Units at the Monze Zambia Correctional Service Camp to the Zambia Correctional Service.
May God Bless Us You All.
Thank You.